Stevedoring Services refused to pay dock workers who skipped work to attend a court hearing on Friday.

But company lawyer Alan Dunch warned that further action would land the union back in court.

On Friday, about 60 dock workers missed nearly four hours of work to witness the union's legal bid to block costs being taken after an earlier hearing ruled the BIU had broken an injunction by having an overtime ban.

BIU leader Derrick Burgess noted his workers were paid for attending previous hearings.

However Mr. Dunch said the company had already warned that workers would not be paid if they missed work for Friday's court hearing.

And he said the company would hit back if the union took industrial action over their claim for lost pay.

He said: "The contempt of court proceedings have been in abeyance since February but can be restored at any time if there is a withdrawal of labour.

"It's a matter for Stevedoring Services if they want to restore the contempt of court proceedings.

"I have little doubt that, if there is further industrial action, the inevitable action would be to take them back to court.'' He added: "For what it's worth, we will be saying to all dock workers that Thursday's hearing is also to be heard in the Judge's chambers and there is no need for them to attend.

"We expect them to be at work. If not, they won't get paid.'' Asked if industrial action was a possibility, Mr. Burgess said: "I guess if you look at the basic human rights of people then you can figure that out.

"The workers might want to do that. They will take that decision when we call the general membership meeting.

Dock workers may take industrial action "I don't think the membership is going to lie down and let this happen.

"The workers instruct me.'' But he added: "Because one withdraws their labour, it doesn't mean it's a strike.

"I don't want to say at this point what action we'll take. It should be left up to the members of the union.'' He said a meeting would be set up prior to a hearing in the Court of Appeal where the union will seek to reverse the decision which said they had broken an injunction by launching an overtime ban.

However a date has yet to be set for an appeal.

Mr. Burgess accused Stevedoring Services of intimidation.

"We don't want to go back to the days when judgment was passed onto you and you knew nothing about it until they told you what they had decided to do.

"We believe the owners and management of Stevedoring Services are pursuing a strategy of negative industrial relations that threatens the basic human rights of all workers as well as continued peaceful industrial relations in the future.

"Bermuda has seen Stevedoring Services win a judgment that enables them to enforce overtime. We are appealing this judgment, which we feel is a step backwards towards a time when the owner controlled every aspect of a worker's life.

"The management of Stevedoring Services are setting the stage for a further erosion of workers' rights by telling the workers when they will be permitted to attend hearings in which they are named as defendants and when, and if, they can spend time with their families.

"Bermuda must wake up and support labour in this fight for its basic human rights.'' Labour Minister Paula Cox was informed about this situation, said Mr. Burgess, in the hope she could help resolve it. He said she has not responded yet.

Tough talking: Bermuda Industrial Union president Derrick Burgess yesterday attacked Stevedoring Services for refusing to pay dock workers who left work to attend a court hearing involving them on Friday. Mr. Burgess is flanked by the union's first vice president Chris Furbert.